Chad Merriman changed his plea to guilty Thursday on a host charges during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court.

Judge Gordon Webb sentenced Merriman to five years of probation in accordance with a plea agreement worked out between Merriman’s attorney and prosecutors.

Merriman entered a guilty plea to one felony charge of of possession of drug paraphernalia and six misdemeanor charges, all stemming from two incidents during which Merriman violated protection orders.

In June of last year, the 42-year-old Norfork man was wanted for violating a protection order. Baxter County deputies went to his Norfork home, where they found Merriman asleep.

They woke Merriman and told him he had an outstanding warrant and that he was under arrest. Merriman would not comply with orders and deputies were forced to pepper spray him twice and strike him with a flashlight before they could get him handcuffed.

During his struggle with the deputies, he grabbed the duty belt of a deputy. At some point during the struggle, Merriman caused a large cut to the neck one of the deputies.

He was eventually arrested and during a search of his person, deputies reportedly found a spoon with methamphetamine residue and seven syringes. In addition to the misdemeanor charge of violation of a protection order, Merriman saw officials tack on the felony battery and drug paraphernalia charges.

In an earlier case, the woman who had an order of protection against Merriman called 911 to report Merriman had broken down the front door of the home she shared with him, carrying a stick and began screaming in her face.

Deputies arrived and the woman told the Merriman was hiding in the home. They located him in the attic. Merriman was told to come down.

The deputies heard a crashing sound and discovered Merriman had broken through the attic wall, jumped to the ground and ran into some nearby woods. They were unable to locate him.

Merriman has been arrested 19 times in Baxter County, according to electronic jail records.

In a petition asking for another order of protection, the female victim alleged Merriman violated a previous order of protection on an almost nightly basis. She alleged in the petition that Merriman attempted to smother her on one occasion and that he banged on her doors and windows on an almost nightly basis.

The woman also claimed Merriman has been using drugs for the past three to four years.